


Reckless

by TattooedNurse



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, One Shot, Short & Sweet, Tropes, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-14 16:49:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14140290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TattooedNurse/pseuds/TattooedNurse
Summary: One of my favorite tropes. Near death experience leads to a confession of feelings.Prompt:I considered that option, but you know what happens when I try to be careful.Originally posted on Tumblr (TattooedNurseWrites).





	Reckless

**Author's Note:**

> So, I wrote this for Mee’s (imhereforbvcky) MCU Canon Challenge on Tumblr. The prompt actually spawned two different fics. The basic idea for the Scott Lang (aka Antman) one happened first, and when I sat down to write it, the Bucky one came out. The Scott idea wouldn’t leave me alone, so I wrote it, too. Here’s Bucky’s. Hope y’all enjoy!

The first thing you noticed was the beeping. It was loud, rhythmic, and bloody annoying. You opened your mouth to tell it to shut up - and felt your lips crack. Ouch. You tried to wet them, and realized your was mouth dry, too. Frustrated, you cracked your eyes. The light was torture. You added your eyes to the list of ‘in need of hydration’ and blinked. Oh, well that explained it. No wonder you were pissy – you hated hospitals. You noticed the water pitcher on the bedside table and began to sit up, stopping with a gasp when pain tore through your right side. Ow, ow, fucking ow. Fuck. 

You glanced around for a call button, deciding you needed water enough to deal with whoever would answer it. That’s when you saw him. Bucky. He was slumped in a straight-back chair, his arms crossed, his head leaning back against the wall. He was between you and the door. You’d like to think that was a coincidence, but you knew better. Bucky was methodical. He was trying to protect you - or trap you. Possibly both. Strike that… it was definitely both.

You didn’t want to wake him, really. But you knew hitting the call button would do it anyway. You might as well just wake him and ask him to pour you some water. At least then you could avoid the medical team a bit longer. You sighed, straightening as best you could without aggravating your injured side. 

“Bucky,” you croaked, you tried to swallow, and were about to continue speaking when he moved, his arms uncrossing. You watched as his eyes opened, his head still tilted back, giving the illusion of him looking down on you. Then he startled, sitting up fully, and his face flooded with relief.

“Thank fuck you’re awake,” Bucky breathed, rising and moving to the side of the bed. You watched him move toward you distracted, as usual, by the way his body made even the most benign movements sinful. 

“Not really sure I’d call it awake,” you whispered, trying not to irritate your throat. You nodded toward the pitcher. “Can I…” Before you finished the request, Bucky was pouring a cup for you and setting a straw in it. He held it out to you, and you reached for it with your right hand before wincing, the pain in your side flaring again. And of course, Bucky noticed. You took the cup with your left hand, sipping slowly and reveling in the relief the water brought you. Bucky eyed you as you drank, waiting. Once you had finished half the cup, you handed it back to him, mumbling your thanks.

Bucky stared at you, and you tried to keep from squirming. He still looked relieved, but now it was tempered with annoyance. That couldn’t be good. Although the details were fuzzy, you knew you were injured on a mission, and you recognized the room – you were in the medical wing at the up-state base. But the middle part, the part with how and why, that was… unclear. 

As you waited for Bucky to speak, and tried to remember what happened, the door slid open. Steve took up the entire doorway, before smiling and moving inside. “You’re awake!” he grinned, pulling the door shut. “That’s great! I told Bucky you’d be up soon. He’s been a bit…”

“Steve!” Bucky bit out, silencing his friend. “She just woke up, she doesn’t need to hear about it.” Was he blushing? Couldn’t be, right? But fuck if it wasn’t intriguing. 

“Right,” Steve said, shaking his head slightly before turning his eyes back to you. “I’m really glad to see you up though. Do you need anything? Maybe something for pain?” he said, adding the last when you shook your head and winced. 

Bucky looked back at you quickly, studying you. “Yeah, I should let the nurse know you’re awake. Get you something for pain.” 

Bucky was gone before you had a chance to argue. You turned to Steve. “Was that really necessary, Steve?” He grinned. Bastard. 

“Just want to make sure you have everything you need. I owe you,” Steve said, chuckling when he saw your brows drawn in confusion. “I take it you don’t remember?”

“Not exactly. I know we were at the creepy villa… but it’s still pretty fuzzy.”

Steve nodded. “Nat and I were getting into position to breach the front entrance. You and Buck were doing the same at the back, so I didn’t see what happened. But Bucky told me.”

He paused and you made a continue motion with your left hand... “And?”

“And…” he took a deep breath. “Sam was covering the air… saw a glimmer. Turned out to be a sniper. He warned us and was trying to get to him when the sniper fired.” Steve watched you for reaction.

“So, a sniper got me with a lucky shot? Bucky isn’t mad at Sam, right? It wasn’t his fault.”

“That’s… not exactly it.”

“Just spit it out, Steve.”

“The sniper was aiming for Bucky.”

You froze. “Is he okay? The sniper was obviously a shit shot.”

Steve’s lips twitched and he shook his head. “The shot would’ve hit its mark. Bucky was crouched by the door, ready to breach. It would’ve been a head shot,” Steve explained, wincing. He watched you blink and take a breath before continuing. 

“But,” Bucky cut Steve off, walking toward you, his eyes locked on yours. “Your reckless ass dove in front of a fucking high powered fucking sniper round. I thought I told you to be careful! Did that even cross your mind?” 

All at once you remembered. Sam notifying the team of the sniper. Your realization that Bucky might be a target… the target. You hadn’t even known a shot had been fired when you moved to cover him. Your only thought was that Bucky might be in danger, and you moved to protect him. Of course you did. 

“I considered that option, but you know what happens when I try to be careful?” you asked, watching him blink in confusion. “In this case, I would’ve had to watch you die in front of me. You can’t expect me to…”

“You’re more important! You could have died, I could’ve had to watch you die!” Bucky broke in, eyes downcast. “And it would’ve been my fault,” he added in a grumble.

“No, Bucky. It wouldn’t. I didn’t even have to think about it. I couldn’t just do nothing, not with how I feel about you.”

Bucky’s head jerked up, looking at you, his lips parted and working futilely to form words. Steve cleared his throat avoiding looking at either of us as he left the room. He intercepted the nurse, shutting the door quietly behind them, leaving you alone with Bucky.

“How…how you feel?” Bucky whispered, his voice wavering. He was staring at you, his eyes wide.

“I… I didn’t mean to say that. Shit. I planned to keep how I feel to myself. I didn’t want to make things awkward between us… you’re one of my best friends… you are my best friend. I didn’t want to burden you with this.”

“Burden me with what?” Bucky asked, stalking closer to you, his eyes never leaving yours. 

“I love you, Bucky,” you whispered, watching his eyes close at your confession. “I’m in love with you. Have been for… well, how long have we known each other now?” You gave him a self-deprecating smile. “So, you see why I couldn’t lose you. I didn’t think – I just acted to protect my heart. That would be you, by the way,” you added, touching his hand. 

Bucky looked at your hand touching his, then back at you. He didn’t speak. After counting to sixty in your head, you pulled your hand back. When he still hadn’t spoken when you made it to sixty again, you sighed. “I’m sorry. I… I shouldn’t have said…”

And then your thoughts stopped. Your words were smothered by Bucky’s mouth on yours. Bliss. You wrapped your left arm around him, pulling him onto the bed beside you, and deepening the kiss. When you finally pulled back both of you were breathless. Bucky rested his forehead against yours before leaning down, his lips brushing the shell of your ear. “I love you, too.” He pulled back and looked into your eyes with a soft smile, before kissing you again. “Always have,” he murmured against your lips. You deepened the kiss again - and groaned when you heard the door open. 

You looked toward the door, seeing Steve who was grinning as he looked at you and Bucky. He was followed in by a flustered looking nurse. “He certainly shouldn’t be in bed with her. With that injury she needs to be careful,” she tutted at Steve, making her way toward you. 

“He’s exactly where I want him to be,” you said, not taking your eyes from Bucky’s. “Haven’t you heard? I’m not good at careful.”


End file.
